Combined load indicator and alarm for motor-trucks.



F. J. TROLL. COMBINED LOAD INDICATOR AND ALARM FOR MOTOR TRUCKS.

I APPLICATION FILED MAY 18, 1912. 1,147,127. Patented July 20, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

IN VEN TOR v y Allamey WITNESSES [J ga k.

F. J. TROLL.

COMBINED LOAD INDICATOR AND ALARM FOR MOTOR TRUCKS.

' APPLICATION FILED MAY 18, 1912. 1,147,127.

Patented July 20,- 1915.

2 $HEET S- -SHEET 2.

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FREDERICK J. TROLL, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TODOUGLAS H. THOMAS, JR., OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

' COMBINED LOAD INDICATOR AND ALARM FOR MOTOR-TRUCKS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK J. TROLL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements inCombined Load Indicators and Alarms forMotor-Trucks, of which the following is a specification.-

This invention relates to a combined load indicator and alarm for motortrucks, and may be termed a loadometer.

Motor trucks are sometimes equipped with a sign disposed at someconvenient point on the vehicle to indicate'the pound capacity load thetruck thereby reducing the opera-- tive efficiency by increasing the.unit cost per pound of the materials handled. Careless drivers arelikely to overload the truck thereby increasing the repair cost, tireexpense, etc., with the result that from the manufacturers view point,the reputation of the truck is affected to the-disadvantage of themanufacturer by reason of complaints means for application to a motortruck em-.

from owners or purchasers of motor trucks. It is therefore one object ofmy invention to provide an apparatus particularly adapted to beassociated with a motor truck which will indicate the underload andoverload in units of one hundred pounds more or less so that the ratedcapacity of the truck will not be abused and so that the operatingefliciency will not be reduced because of failure to load the trucktoits rated capacity.

Another object resides in the provision of an electro-mechanical meanswhich may be readily applied to any motor truck withoutalterations tothe latter and which will effectively operate so that the full load mayalways he carried and an overload or underload always known to thedriver or other attendant.

It is still further designed to provide bodying among othercharacteristics an audible alarm which will sound in the event of thetruck reaching its rated capacity and Specification of Letters Patent.

companying drawings 'hicle 10.

Patented July 20, 1915.

. Application filed May 18, 1912. Serial No. 698,250.

continue to sound until the truck is relieved of its overweight so thatthe driver will know that to preserve the life of the truck and todiscontinue the alarm some of the materials must be removed from thetruck in order to decreasethe weight on same.

With the above and other objects in view the present invention consistsin the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fullydescribed, illustrated in the ac- V and particularly pointed out in theappended claims, it being understood that changes may be made in theform, proportion, size and minor details without departing from thespirit or sacrifi cing any of the advantagesof the invention.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a diagram-- matic view of my invention.Fig. '2 is a side elevation of a truck chassis indicating theapplication of the visible part of my invention thereto. Fig. 3 is aface view of one of the electro-mechanical resistance changing devices,with the closure of the casing removed. Fig. 4 is a sectional viewthereof.

In one embodiment of my invention I employ a plurality ofelectro-mechanical resistance changing devices preferably four innumber, with these resistance changing devices located in closeproximity to the ends of the front and rear axles of the vehicle 10.These resistance changing devices are located somewhat after the'fashionof a shock absorber and each consists preferably of a cas ing A composedof two parts 11 and 12, the

part 11 forming the body of the casing and having an 'arm-13 extendingtherefrom and provided at its outer end with an eye 14: through whichmay be passed a suitable fastening element 15, to secure the arm 13 tothe corresponding elliptical s ring 16 arranged adjacent eachv wheel 1of the ve- The part 12 of the casing A is in the form of a cap andpreferably has screw threaded engagement with the body of the .7

part 11 to close the casing. One wall of the part i 11 is provided witha perforation adapted to form a bearing 18 to receive the axis 19 of thearm 20 which latter is provided at its outer end with an eye 21 throughwhich maybe passed a bolt or other suitable element 22 whereby the outerend" of the arm 20 may be connected to the framework or body 10 of thevehicle.

To secure the axis 19 of the arm 20 against displacement or accidentalwithdrawal from its bearing 18 there may be provided a collar 23 locatedwithin the casing and embracing the axis and through which collar arepassed screws or other suitable elements 24 adapted to fit in agroove 25in the axis 19 of the arm whereby the axis has rotatable movement in thecasingand yet is held against accidental withdr'awal therefrom by virtueof the fastening elements 24 fitting in said groove 25. The inner end ofthe axis 19 is preferably reduced and squared so as to support a gear 26which isheld onthe inner end of the axis 19 by means of a collar 27 andset screw 28, respectively.

Mounted in the wall a of the casing A in any suitable manner is an arbor29 which is preferably shouldered at 30 to support a pinion 31 adaptedto mesh with the aforesaid gear 26. This pinion 31 has a'sleeved portion32 projecting therefrom and embracing which is the collar 33 and an arm34. The collar 33 may be held fixedly to the sleeve 32 by means of oneormore set screws 35 with the pinion 31 held against longitudinal-movementon the arbor 29 by means of- I a collar 36 secured to the outer end ofthe to maintain the 'arm 34 in its-normal poarbor 29 by means of a setscrew or other suitable fastening 37. The collar 36 and fastening 37cofiperate with the fastenings sition with relationto the pinion 31.

The arm 34 is preferably composed of two sections, with the innersection insulated from the outer section by means of .suitableinsulating material 69 and at'the outer end of thearm there is formed asleeve 38 in which is mounted a contact member 39 which is adjustablyand. yieldably mounted in the sleeve 38 by an adjusting screw'40 and aspring 41, the latter fitting between the adjusting screw 40 and thecontact member 39.

Disposed within the casing A and secured to the inner side of the wall aby means-of screws'or other suitable fastenings 42 is a flanged annularinsulating ring 43 provided witha plurality of slots to receive aplurality of spaced contacts 45. These contacts 45 are insulated fromthe casing and each other by the ring 43 and also insulated from eachother by the parts 'of the ring formedbetween the slots in which thecontact pieces are located. These contact pieces 45 are adapted forcoiiperation with the aforesaid ."contact member 39 which latter isadapted to successively operate over the contacts 45 according to theweight on the vehicle and -the consequent rotationof the gears 26 and'pinions 31 under the influence of the arms 20 and 13 of the resistancechanging devices 4 which causes swinging movement of thearms '34 of therespective resistance changing devices to move the contact member 39over the respective contacts 45. To prevent the contact members 39 frombreaking the electrical circuit at any point in their rotation, thewidth of the insulating material between the slots provided to receivethe contacts '45, must be made narrower than the contact members 39.

Disposed within the casing-and arranged.

the journal 19 of the arm 20 there is formed v in theouter face of thewall a of. each casing A i an annular groove 48 filled with a suit--able packing in which lubricating oil may be injected through a passage49 from which it may pass through the packing and duct50 tothe journalto lubricate the same. I The electro-mechanical resistance changingdevices are electrically connected 1n se ries to a common source ofelectric supply, .such for instance, as dry cells, or the batteriesgenerally utilized for ignition or an electrical storage battery ofelectrical trucks,

as indicated at 51. This circuit whichwillbe hereinafter termed theresistance changing circuit comprises the; plurality of resistancechanging devices, the battery 51, the switch 53 and the indicator E,which lat-' ter is preferably of the milliammeter type.

This indicator consists of a stationary vcoil 55, a movable coil 56connected in multiple with coil 55, a rotating contact 57, WlllCh iselectrically connected to the axis 58 of the.

instrument and located in an insulated collar or ring 59. There is apointer or index finger 60 carried by the axis 58 of the instrumentwhich works over the dial 61 on which dial may be graduations andindlcation's on opposite sides of the rated capacity of say for instancesix thousand pounds. The

instrument also has a thin contact or brush 63 insulated from sameadapted to cotiperate with the rotatable contact 57 at a predeterminedtime as will be hereinafter expla'ined, to cause a current ofelectricity to flow through a second circuit electrically connected withthe resistance changing 011E ance changing circuit and with theindicator, the alarm being indicated at 64. I As it is essential that aconstant voltage be maintained in the resistance changing circuit whichis supplied by the batteries or source of supply 51 and whosevoltagewould be appreciably lowered if the current were taken fromsource 51 to operate the alarm 64:; an extrasource of current 52 istherefore provided. 7

The resistance circuit may be connected up with the respectiveresistance changing devices by the means of an entering wire 65 whichmay lead through an opening 66 in,

the corresponding casing A and connect to one of the contact pieces 45.The current flows up through the contact member 39 and the arm 34 to thebinding post 70 and out through the outgoing flexible wire 68 which alsopasses through the aforesaid opening 66 in the respective casing A.

The operation of the apparatus may be stated as follows; When about toload the truck the switch 53 on the. dash board is closed. As thematerials are placed'on the truck the same is depressed and the sprlngs16 gradually flatten. Under the flattening action of the spring 16, theouter ends of the arms 13 and 20 are forced together or toward eachother under the depression of the body of the vehicle. This causes theaxis 19' of the arm 20 of the electro mechanical devices.

of the vehicle body caused by the load. In

other words,'if the load be equally distributed throughout, the amountof resistance cut out in' each resistance changing device issubstantially the same. chine or other heavy concentrated load, or

if for any other reason any preponderance of load is placed at eitherthe extreme front ,or back or side of the truck, causingtwo of" thesprings to be depressed more than the other two, and consequentl-y buttwo of the resistance devices acted upon-to any appreciable extent,causing resistance to be cut out of the resistance changing devicecircuit, the indicator E-would register the load,

because the proper amount of resistance,

corresponding to the load, is cut out of the resistance changing devicecircuit by virtue of the sum of the vertical movements or depressions ofthe two springs being equal to the sum of the vertical movements ordepressions of all four of the springs, if the load had been so appliedas to cause all four of the springs to be depressed. Upon the vehiclereceiving the predetermined amount in weight of goods or, in otherwords,its maximum weight. capacity, the

If a heavy ma-- stationary coil 55 of the indicating instrument E willbe sufliciently energized to move the movable coil 56 to which the indexfinger 60 is connected, thus causing the index finger 60 to pass overthe dial 61 and indicate the load on the truck. When the loadhas reachedanywhere within, sayfor instance five hundred pounds of the maximumweight capacity, the operator may tell by the indicator'that he isnearing the maximum rated capacity. In any event, as further load isplaced on the truck more and more resistance is cut out of theresistance changing device circuit and when a point is reached where themaximum predetermined current is passing through the indicating'instrument E, switch 53, and the resistance devices, it causes theindex fi'nger 60 to reach the dotted line'position-ln Fig. 1, that is tosay, directly over the six thousand pound mark on the indicator, if therated capacity be six thousand pounds. The rated capacity of the truckmay be changed if desired.- For instance, on the dial 61 .of theindicator E, and for example, 6 of the 6000 load mark could be changedto 4, making' it a 4000' pound loadometer instead of a 6000 pound. Bythese changes one type and size of loadometer could be used on any sizeor capacity of motor truck. When the index finger 60 reaches the dottedline position shownin Fig. 1-,'that is to say,

when the maximum capacity has been reached, the insulated brush 63 ofthe i n dicating instrument comes into contact with the contact segment57 thus completing the circuit through the battery 52, switch 53, thecontact segment 57,the axis 58 of the instrument, the metal frame 62 ofthe instrument and also through the alarm 64c by way of the supplementalbattery 52, thus Causing the alarm to sound. The alarm will continue tosound until the load is decreased on the truck, and as the load isdecreased more or less resistance is cut into resistance changingcircuit, thereby, slightly demagnetizing the stationary coil 55,-permitting or causing the contact segment 57 to be rotated outof thepath of the insulated. contact brush 63, breaking the electricalconnection to the alarm. In the event of a weakening of the springs 16causing the springs to bedepressed or flattened out of their normalcondition, when no load is on the truck, thus causing the contact arms-31 to be-shifted from their normal operative positions andthereby'accidentally cutting out resistancev when none should be cutout,

it, is simply necessary to remove the cover parts 12 of the casings A ofthe resistance changing devices and then properly adjust the contactarms 34, by loosening the set screws 35 and subsequently tightening thesame,

after which the cover part 12 is placed on the casing A.

What is claimed is:

1. Thecombination of the axles, body and wheels of a vehicle, supportingsprings adjacent to each wheel, electro-mechanical resistance changingdevices connected to the body and the spring at each" end of each axle,electrical means connected to the resistance devices and operable underthe in fluence of the latter to indicate the maximum loadcapacity of thevehicle, and means audibly indicating when the aforesaid indicatingmeans has been operated to indicate the maximum load capacity. 7

2. The combination of the axles, body and wheels of a vehicle,supporting springs adjacent to each wheel, electro-mechanical resistancechanging devices connected to the body and springs at each end of eachaxle, and electrical means common to all of the resistance devices andoperable under the influence of the latter to indicate when the maximumload capacity of the vehicle has been reached.

3. The combination with the axles, body "and wheels of a vehicle,supporting springs adjacent to each wheel, electro-mechanical resistancechanging devices having connection with the springs for operation underthe action of the latter and arranged one at each end of each axle, andmeans connected to the electro-mechanical resistance changing devicesand operable under the influence 'of the latter to indicate when themaximum load capacityof the vehicle has been reached.

4. The combination of the axles, body and' been reached.

'. to sound an alarm when the maximum load capacity of the vehiclehas-been reached.

6. The combination of the axles, body, and wheels of a vehicle,supporting springs betweenthe axles and the body, reslstancefchangingdevices having connection with the springs for operation uponflattening of the latter lncldent to weight placed on the body, and acommon means connected to all of the resistance changing devices toindicate the weight of the load placed on the vehicle and to indicatewhen the maximum load capacity has been reached.

7. The combination of the axles, body and wheels of a vehicle,supporting springs between the axles and the body, resistance changingdevices having connection with the springs for operation upon flatteningof the vices connected one to each of the springs, each reslstancedevlce comprismg a casmg,-

a plurality of contact members within each casing insulated from thelatter and from one another, a plurality of resistance changing devicesconnected in series to the contact members, a' swinging contact armmounted inthe casing and carrying acontact member for successiveengagement with said contact members, a gear mechanism whereby theswinging contact arm is-swung step by step under the influenceofweighton the vehicle body, a resistance changing electric circuithaving connection with .each resistance changing device and including abattery and a switch and an indicator in said circuit to indicate whenthe maximum load capacity of the vehicle has been reached,-

and an alarm circuit operatively connected to the aforesaid circuit andincluding a battery and an alarm which latter is operable to audiblyindicate when the maximum load capacity of the vehicle has been reached.

9. The combination of the axles, body and wheels of a vehicle,supporting springs between'the axles andthe body of the vehicle,

'electro-mechanical resistance changing de- Vices having connection withthe springs for operation when the body is depressed incident to a loadplaced thereon, an electric resistance changing circuit 1n which said.electro-mechanical resistance changing de- V1ces are connected 1nseries and including a battery, switch and anindicator to 1nd1cate theamount of load placed on the vehicle, and an alarm circuit connected tothe indicator and the aforesaid circuit and including a battery and analarm to sound the latter upon a predetermined amount of resistancebeing cut out of the first named circuit incident -to load on thevehicle.

10. The combination of' the axles, body and wheels of avehicle,'supporting springs between the axles and the body' of thevehicle, electro-mechanical resistance changing devices havingconnection with the springs for operation when the body isdepressedincident to a load placed thereon, an electrical resistancechanging circuit in which said electro-mechanical resistance changingdevices are connected in series and including a battery, switch and anindicator 'to indicate the amount of load placed on the vehicle, and analarm circuit connected to the indicator and the aforesaid circuit andincluding a battery and an alarm to sound the latter upon apredeterminedamount of resistance being cut out of the first-named circuit in: cidentto load on the vehicle, the battery of the alarm circuit furnishing anindependent source of current to sound the alarm independently of thebattery of the resistance changing circuit.

11. The combination of a vehicle body, electro-mechanical resistancechanging devices operable under the influence of the load placed on thevehicle body, an electric resistance changing circuit in which saidelectromechanical resistance changing devices are connected in seriesand including a battery, switch and an indicator to visibly indicate theamount of load placed on the vehicle,

and an alarm circuit connected to the indicator and to the aforesaidcircuit and includ-' ing a battery and an alarm to audibly indicate whena predetermined amount of resistance has been cut out of the first-namedcircuit incident to load 'on the vehicle body.

12. The combination of a vehicle body which is subject to depression,resistance changing devices operable under the influence of the vehiclebody when depressed incident to load placed thereon, a common meansconnected to all of the resistance changing devices -to visibly indicatethe weight or load placed on the vehicle body, and means operativelyconnected to the visible indicating means to audibly indicate when thevisible indicating means operates to indicate the amount of load placedon the vehicle body. a

13. The combination of a vehicle including a body, means to yieldinglysupport the body, a resistance changing circuit carried by the vehicle,means for changing the resistance in said circuit proportionate to theload, a visible indicator connected in said circuit, the indicator beingcontrolled according to the electrical variations in the resistancechanging circuit incident to operation of the resistance changing meansupon depression. of the vehicle body against the action of saidyieldable supporting means, and an electric alarm circuit electricallyconnected to the resistance changing circuit and controlled thereby soas to audibly indicate simultaneously with the visible indication whenthe predetermined load capacity of the ,vehicle has been reached.

14. The combination of the axles, body and wheels of a vehicle,supporting springs between the axles and the body of the vehicle,resistance changing devices connected one to each of the springs, eachresistance device comprising a casing, a plurality of contact memberswithin each casing insulated from the latter and from one another, aplurality of resistance devices connected in series to the contactmembers, a swinging contact arm mounted inthe casing and carrying acontact member for successive engagement with said contact members,means whereby the swinging contact arm is swung step by step under theinfluence of weight on the vehicle body, and an indicator electricallyconnected to each of said electro-mechanical resistance changing devicesto indicate when the rated capacity of the vehicle has been reached.

15. The combination of the axles, body and wheels of a vehicle,supporting springs between the axles and the body of the vehicle,resistance changing devices connected one to each of the springs, eachresistance device comprising a casing, a plurality of contact memberswithin each casing insulated from the latter and from one another,

a plurality of resistance devices connected in series to the contactmembers, a swinging contact arm mounted-in the casing and carrying acontact member for successive 'engagement with said contact members,means whereby the swinging contact arm is swung step by step under theinfluence of weight on the vehicle body, an indicator electricallyconnected to each of said electro-mechanical resistance changing devicesto indicate when the rated capacity of the vehicle has been reached, andmeans operating simultaneously with the aforesaid indicating means toindicate audibly when the predetermined rated capacity has been reached.

16. The combination with a vehicle, electro-mechanical resistancechanging devices having operative connection with the body for operationupon depression of the latter incident to weight placed on the body,each for engagement with said contact members a gear mechanism wherebythe swinging contact arm is swung step by step under the influence ofweight on the vehicle body, and 4 a resistance changing electric circuithaving connection with each resistance changing device and including abattery and a switch, and an indicator in said circuit to indicate whenthe maximum load capacity of the vehicle has been reached. O a 17. Thecombination with a vehicle, electro-mechanical resistance changingdevlces having operative connection with the body resistance changingdevice comprising a cas-' ing, a plurality of resistances in eachcasing, connected in series to the respective contact members, aswinging contact arm mounted in the casing and carrying a contact memberfor engagement with said contact members, a gear mechanism'wherebytheswinging contact-arm-is swung step by step under the influence of weighton the vehicle body, and a resistance changing electriccircuit havingconnection with each resistance changing device and including a batteryand a switch, and an indicator in said circuit to indicate when themaximum load capacity of the vehicle has been reached, and an alarmcircuit operatively connected to the aforesaid circuit and including abatteryand an alarm which latter is operable to audibly indicate whenthe maximum load capacity of the vehicle has been reached.

the swinging contact arm is swung step by 18. The combination with avehicle, electro-mechanical resistance changing devices having operativeconnection with the body for operation upon depression of the latterincident to weight placed on the'body, each resistance changin devicecomprising a casing, a plurality 0 contact members within each casing, aplurality of resistances in each casing connected in series to therespective contact members, a swinging contact arm mounted in the casingand carrying a contact member for engagement with said contact members,a gear mechanism whereby step under the influence of weight on thevehicle body, and an indicator to visibly indicate when the maximum loadcapacity of the'vehicle has been reached. 7

19. The combination with a vehicle, elec- "mounted in the casing and.car yin a con-p ing means and thereby operate said indicatfor operationupon depression of the latter incident to weight placed on the body,each resistance changin device comprising a; casing, a plurality orcontact members within -f I? each casing, a plurality of resistances ineachgf" casing connected in series to the' respective contact members, aswingmg contact arm' tact member for engagementrfw said coii-Y tactmembers, a gear mechanism wherebyth'e swinging contact arm isswungstepfby ste'pg under the influenceof weight-oi j thevehic body,an'indicator to visibly indicate whe the maximum load capacity of thevehicle; has been reached, and means cooperating-- I with the visiblyindicating means to audibly 6 0 indicate when the maximum load capacity.of.

the vehicle has been reached. 7 p f 20. The combination of a vehicleincluding a body, means for yieldably supporting I the body, anelectrical circuit carried by the 65,, vehicle body, an indicatinggmeansconnected in said circuit, overlapping members connected to the vehiclebody and to the yieldable supporting means therefor and which areadapted to fold with relation to each other upon depression of thevehicle body against the action of said springs, and contact membershaving connection with said overlapping and foldable members andincluded in said circuit and which are arranged to contact with eachother upon folding of said overlapping and foldable connections betweenthe body and yieldable supportingmeans when thebody is depressed againstthe action of the yieldable supporting means. v

In testimony whereof I aflix my slgnaturo in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK J. TROLL Witnesses WALTER M. TROLL, DnWrrr C. Korma.

